Progress Report 2022 Week 09

Introduction to Progress Report 2022 Week 09

The three main characters have begun to insist on certain, minor tweaks to the order I’m presenting Plot Turn 1. I was going to say that’s a good sign, but I’ve decided I can’t. I’ll talk about why in a minute. Also, I’ve noticed something about the Reedsy proofreading engagement for Evolution’s Hand Book 1: Executive Action. It’s not like my previous engagement. Before I get into details, let’s talk about this week’s numbers.

Progress Report 2022 Week 09 By the Numbers

The word count improved this week. There were no Real Life Family Events! Real Life Work Events, on the other hand, tried their darnedest to interfere!

The word count was in a better place this week, as it rose to 9,502. My best day was on February 23, when I wrote 2,324 words. The low day was 1,437 words on February 22. I had to do a lot of research on Japanese etiquette on that day. I’d done some before, but I really wanted to portray an accurate experience for Matsushita Sachi coming home for the first time in years. Even after all my research, I’m going to probably ask a colleague in Japan to read it over to make sure I didn’t say anything stupid.

Proofread Edit from Reedsy

Last year, I hired a Reedy editor for Executive Action’s developmental edit. The experience was fantastic. The editor even replied to me by the end of the day of the due date. This time, for the proofreading edit, Reedsy has notified me to expect the debit. I’ve also received a notice asking me to review the editor. But I don’t have the edit back yet.

To be fair, it’s not midnight my time. The contract called for it to be complete by February 28, 2022, and it didn’t specify which time zone. Still, it’s a different sequence than the previous edit. I’ll report next week on what happens.

And yes, I should lay off the coffee. Why do you ask?

Progress against Goals from Last Week

Last week, I wanted to finish plot turn 1 for Melchizedek “Dek” Conrad and Matsushita Sachi, and I wanted to start the same for Atticus Porter. This is where the characters seized control (see below). I ended up finishing Conrad and Porter’s chapters, but got only 2/3 of the way through the chapter for Matsushita. I think the new order offers stronger dramatic beats.

I made no progress on evaluating a profit-sharing agreement for the audio book version of Executive Action. I came up with a preliminary design for the e-mail list signup process, but I did not finish it. Honestly, I got so much into writing that I just didn’t make time for anything else.

I’m still toying with the idea of offering an audio version of the short story lead magnet.

Are My Instincts Right?

This week, Conrad, Matsushita, and Porter conspired to change the order in which I had planned to write plot turn 1. In my past writing experiences, I thought it was a good sign that the characters seemed so vivid to me. I thought it meant I had successfully visualized them, so my writing would naturally be better.

I’m trying to be aware of when I make assumptions so I can push back on them. In reality, I have no idea if vivid characters in my mind translate to vivid characters for the reader. That’s the ultimate measure of success, isn’t it? A satisfied and happy reader? And since I’ve never published a novel, how can I tell if this condition is good, bad, or neutral?

If the proofread edit comes back on time, and if I get the audio book and e-mail list sorted, then I guess I’ll begin gathering data soon enough!

Goals for the Week in Progress Report 2022 Week 09

This week, I want to hit these goals:

1. Finish plot turn 1 for Matsushita Sachi and Jack Booth; start plot turn 1 for Ira Malhotra
2. Decide, once and for all, whether or not to launch Executive Action with an audio version (this is beginning to seem repetitive…)
3. Setup the e-mail list’s sales funnel and launch it

What Do You Think?

Do you have any indicators that help you know you’re on the right track? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!